efobrien

I'm trying to decide if I have enough time during a Vancouver-Victoria trip to take in Tofino. How long does it take to get from Victoria to Tofino under normal July driving and traffic conditions?

Sam_Salmon

5 hours one way.

hellokittie

Is this a difficult drive? Where would you stop along the way for a night? How many nights would you need in Tofino?
THanks.

Sam_Salmon

"<i>Is this a difficult drive?</i>"
No, parts of the drive from Port Alberni to WCVI are windy but not overly so.

"<i>Where would you stop along the way for a night?</i>"
Why would one stop, it's only a five hour drive!

"<i>How many nights would you need in Tofino?</i>"
How long is a piece of string?

No one on the internet can know your mind Madam.

Here's a hint-most hotels in the area have a 3 night minimum.

NWWanderer

I wouldn't do the drive unless you can spend at least 3 nights in Tofino. And I agree, no need to stop on the way.

icithecat

"How many nights would you need in Tofino?"
How long is a piece of string?

Sam. you are feeling Mr. Mistoffelees tonight.

Places of interest between Victoria and Tofino are; Parksville, for the beach, Coombs, for the goats on the roof, and that chunk of forest called Cathedral Grove.

live42day

If you do decide that you can only stay for one or two nights, which would be a shame, the Best Western Tin Wis is on McKenzie Beach and is the only one I know of that will take you for one night.
Another thought for you. If you are going back to Vancouver, you could travel from Victoria to Tofino and then to get back to Vancouver take the ferry from Nanaimo which is only a 3 hour drive from Tofino. You dont need to travel all the way back to Victoria.

robertarafferty

NW Wanderer, why do you need 3 nights in Tofino? Maybe one day would be enough to take it in?
(In other words, what all, other than kayaking, would you do there for 2 full days?).

Carmanah

robertarafferty - by that logic, people who travel to Mexico or Hawaii only really need one day to take in a beach, right?

Tofino's about relaxing. It's about not being rushed. It's about... well, it's not about just going for a photo op.

3 days is the minimum, easily.

The drive takes 5 hours to get there, and once there, there's 40km of coastline to explore, not to mention all the trails and coved beaches in Pacific Rim National Park. I spent 3 days there last February. Day one was just relaxing... beachcombing along Cox Bay, and eating a fabulous dinner at the Long Beach Lodge resort.

Second day was spend wandering the Rainforest Trail A and B and admiring the rainforest from within. We then headed into Tofino for lunch at Sobo, the drove down to Long Beach by the Esowista reserve and went for a long, long walk from one end to the other.

The next day we went to Wickanninish Beach, and played guitar on the beach while we watched the surfers brave enough to conquer the massive waves. We went to Ucluelet for lunch and...

hey, that's it! 3 days are up! Time to head back. We didn't even go to Hot Springs Cove. We didn't even do whale watching. We didn't make it to Radar Hill or Kennedy Lake. Didn't get to go sea kayaking or fishing. Nada.

Again, Tofino's all about relaxing and just chilling out.

NWWanderer

Carmanah has given a great summary of the mood of Tofino and the variety of things to do there. Plus, as noted, some time to relax and just watch the waves crash on the beach is key, IMO.

The last time I was there, it was for 5 nights in winter and that was at least my 6th or 7th visit, and it STILL didn't seem like enough time there!

live42day

I go to the west coast every month or two, for at least three nights each time and always manage to find something new to discover.

As mentioned above, it is a place that you want to 'drink in'
you can rush through it but to really see it you would have to have the time to relax and be there.

Maria_H

We recently returned from our trip to BC during which we spent 4 nights (3 days) in Tofino. As mentioned, the drive took about 5 hours, not including stops. We stopped to stretch our legs at Chemainus - seaside village famous for murals on the buildings - and at Cathedral Grove.

Despite one rainy day, we enjoyed our stay. We spent 2 days (including the wet day) exploring some of the many trails and beaches along the coast. The other day we spent the morning in the little botanic garden and the afternoon whale watching, where we saw grey whales and orcas. We had leisurely evening meals in Tofino, followed by a stroll on MacKenzie Beach to watch the sunset. It was about the right length of time there for us, though there was enough that we missed, if we had more days to spare.

robertarafferty

OK, fellow travellers, I think I have the picture...
It sounds like retirement when there's so much to see out there, and I want to see it all!!
Will find a way to slow down and relax; maybe the freedom from children for a little while is too much to bear! (Don't know who of you can appreciate that).
Thankyou, anyway, I'm printing this out to remind myself while planning.

LaurenKahn1

I visited Tofino when I was based in Qualicum Beach in a home exchange. I stayed over one night but it was April and I had no problem finding a place to stay off season. Not much was happening when I was there--which was fine with me.

Tofino, I think, was about 3 hours from Qualicum Beach (which is on Vancouver Island north of Nanaimo).